When does NFL free agency start? Here's when players can sign with new teams

When does NFL free agency start? Here’s when players can sign with new teams

Posted by author February 10, 2025 NFL

Spread the love

The NFL season is over, and now the fun can really begin.

All 32 teams will have to hit the ground running as they prepare to retool or overhaul their rosters ahead of the 2025 season. When does NFL free agency begin?

According to Spotrac.com, there are 776 pending free agents this offseason, most of which are unrestricted and will be free to sign a new contract with any team this spring. Even though the Super Bowl is behind us and the 2024 season is in the books, those players will have to wait about a month before they’re free to negotiate new deals.

Here’s what to know about when NFL free agency starts:

When does NFL free agency start?

NFL free agency officially starts at the beginning of the new league year. In 2025, the NFL league year begins on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. ET.

However, there are a couple of notable important dates before that.

Starting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, teams may use the franchise or transition tag on players. The tag is a one-year contract worth either the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position or 120% of his previous salary – whichever costs more.

The deadline for the franchise or transition tag designations is Tuesday, March 4.

In addition, there is a “negotiation period,” also known as a “legal tampering period” in the two days before the start of the new league year. In 2025, this negotiation period begins Monday, March 10 at noon ET. Players and agents can enter into contract negotiations with teams during this period, with all agreed deals becoming official with the start of the new league year on the 12th.

In other words, fans will start to get news on landing spots for a plethora of top-of-the-market free agents as early as March 10 and 11, but those reported deals won’t be made official until the league year begins.